Georgetown: As Guyana prepares for elections, the opposition People Progressive Party (PPP) is concerned with the number of Haitians entering Guyana and not leaving.
Reports indicate that from January to July, more than 8,600 Haitians arrived. On average of about 50 Haitians are entering Guyana via Copa Airlines, a Panamanian-registered service which flies also to Haiti.
The authorities seem resultant to investigate why or where the Haitians are when it was noted that they are noting returning to Haiti after flying to Guyana on a return ticket.
“It could be a situation of human smuggling, trafficking or something else,” one opposition representative noted.
Minister with Responsibilities for Citizenship, Winston Felix had noted that Guyana is being used as a stepping stone by the Haitians for greener pastures.
He also said that the situation was being blown out of proportion by the Opposition which is targeting Haitians unfairly.
“Haitians arriving in Guyana is always blown out of proportion by certain elements in the political Opposition. “In so far as the offence of trafficking in persons is concerned, the APNU/AFC Coalition Government is concerned–that offence is treated with intolerance and anyone found committing it and any suspicion of its occurrence will be investigated with a view to prosecuting those found culpable regardless of their nationality.”
Felix, a former Commissioner of Police, was critical about what he described as the readiness of the Opposition to target Haitians arriving in Guyana.
“…And consequently they seek to mislead the public with broad and generally false allegations that seek to tarnish the good name of the Department of Citizenship. However, they have never been able to unearth one iota of evidence to support their spurious allegations. I suspect that this is another of their acts.”
From all indications, the Haitians don’t require visas and would arrive here on return tickets.
The Opposition has been insisting that from all indications it is likely there is human smuggling involved and also levels of collusion involved in registering voters using the Haitians.
However, Minister Felix was clear about Government’s position.
“Let me reiterate Government’s firm and settled position on CARICOM nationals arriving In Guyana. Apart from our laws which would restrict entry of anyone to Guyana, all CARICOM nationals arriving in Guyana are granted six months to remain in the country, with the possibility of extension.
“I am checking on the veracity of the statement that three busloads of Haitians have arrived in Guyana.”
According to the ministry, his enquiry has suggested that Haitians arrived in this country regularly.
“We have found that their intention is to get to relatives in Suriname, Cayenne, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. We have traced legal departures but there is a number we cannot account for, and those we suspect left illegally (backtrack).
“We have not found evidence of trafficking in Haitians. Venezuelans are the subjects of that offence as the prosecution of current cases suggests.”
With the country moving to its first production of oil after a major find in 2015 offshore Guyana, there has been a growing awareness of what is happening at the country’s borders.
In the last two to three years, more than 6,000 Venezuelans have fled hardships in that neighbouring country to Guyana.
Haiti, a French-Creolese speaking country of 10 million, has been facing tough times in recent years after being ravaged by natural disasters.
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